Councillor who broke code of conduct back in Southwark Cabinet after just two years

Cllr Leo Pollak has been reinstated to the Southwark cabinet two years after breaking code of conduct.

In 2021, Cllr Pollak resigned from his position of cabinet member for housing before being found to have broken the council’s code of conduct.

It was revealed that Cllr Pollak was harassing residents online through an anonymous twitter account.

An external investigation found that this activity represented a breach of Southwark’s code of conduct for councillors.

At the time, leader of Southwark Council Cllr Kieron Williams described Cllr Pollak’s actions at a “serious error of judgement”.

However, at Southwark’s annual meeting on Saturday, it was announced that Cllr Pollak would be returning to the cabinet as the Deputy Cabinet Member for Housing Allocations.

The Liberal Democrat opposition group in Southwark has called the appointment “an insult to residents”.

Leader of the Southwark Lib Dem Cllr Victor Chamberlain said, “Labour seem determined to treat the people of Southwark will utter contempt. In 2021, this councillor was found to be anonymously haranguing residents online, attempting to shut down any criticism of council policy with personal attacks against campaigners. Now, just two years later, the leader of the council thinks he can sneak him back into the fold.

Southwark’s cabinet should be one of transparency and integrity, and yet here they are welcoming back a member whose complete contempt for concerned residents got him kicked out just 24 months prior. This appointment is an insult to residents and we urge them to rethink.”